Dominion Energy and Equinor Win Central Atlantic Offshore Wind Auction
Image source: Dado Ruvic
For Immediate Release: August 14th, 2024
Media Contact: Julia Pendleton, juliap@sewind.org, 804-420-0922
Richmond, VA– Today, the Department of the Interior held an auction to lease two offshore Wind Energy Areas in the Central Atlantic. The Southeastern Wind Coalition congratulates Equinor Wind US, LLC for provisionally winning Area A-1 off Delaware Bay, and Dominion Energy for submitting the provisional winning bid for Area C-1, located 35 miles from the Virginia coast. The auction drew bids from six companies, with Dominion Energy winning Area C-1 for $17,650,500, and Area A-1 going to Equinor for $75,001,001. Together, these Wind Energy Areas have the potential to provide more than 2.2 million homes in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware with clean, reliable energy.
“Today’s auction is proof that the offshore wind industry only continues to gain momentum in the United States. These projects will prompt new economic investment, provide job opportunities for skilled workers, and generate gigawatts of clean energy to help meet rising energy demand in our region” said Julia Pendleton, Managing Director at the Southeastern Wind Coalition (SEWC). “Virginia is already leading in offshore wind development, and we expect that these new projects will bring even more investment to the Commonwealth and the region as a whole.”
The Wind Energy Area won by Dominion Energy contains 176,505 acres, and is located adjacent to the eastern edge of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, and northeast of the CVOW-South and Kitty Hawk projects. “With the original CVOW project currently under construction, and now with two additional leases in hand, Dominion Energy has firmly positioned itself and the Commonwealth of Virginia as leading in the U.S. offshore wind industry,“ added Pendleton. In addition to advancing the industry’s presence in Virginia, the results of the auction set the Commonwealth on a path to potentially exceed its 5.6 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind goal established in the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). SEWC looks forward to continuing to work with our partners and members to ensure residents, business owners, educators, and community leaders understand the exciting opportunities offshore wind brings to Virginia and the wider region.
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)3 that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on supply chain growth, economic development, job growth, and wind energy development in the region with solutions that are beneficial to industry, utilities, and result in net economic benefits to citizens and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition visit http://www.sewind.org.
